Fan from Ireland waits 28 YEARS (!!!) to experience an Evening with Rush, 10/04/04

>From: Michael Lindsay (from Ireland)
>Subject: R30 ANNIVERSARY TOUR

HI,

28 YEARS WAS A LONG TIME TO WAIT TO SEE A BAND THAT I HOLD SO HIGH IT WOULD TAKE THAT LONG TO CLIMB A (JACOBS)LADDER TO REACH THE TOP. I SAW RUSH ON THE "OLD GREY" IN 1976 PLAYING XANADU, WITHIN 1 MONTH I HAD ALL THEIR ALBUMS UP TO FAREWELL TO KINGS. FROM THEN ON I MANAGED TO COLLECT EVERYTHING ON VINYL UP TO TEST FOR ECHO,THIS BEING THE START OF CD`S. I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO ANY GIGS OVER THE YEARS DUE TO BEING "TRICKED BY `VARIOUS` CIRCUMSTANCES", AND BECAUSE THEY NEVER PLAYED IRELAND.

MY FIRST AND SECOND GIGS WERE BIRMINGHAM AND MANCHESTER (R30). I WAS ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY!THEY PLAYED SO WELL. GEDDY LOOKED LIKE A COLLEGE GRADUATE ON STAGE, AND HIS VOICE WAS BETTER THAN I HAVE EVER HEARD. ALEX WAS IMPECCABLE AND NEIL CREATED NEW STANDARDS ON THE KIT. AS FOR THE VIDEOS, IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED BUT TYPICAL RUSH. I COULD TALK FOR A WEEK TO DESCRIBE THE EFFECT IT ALL HAD ON ME BUT I WILL JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THESE GIGS WERE VERY EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR ME, SO MUCH SO THAT I AM STILL FEELING A GREAT SENSE OF LOSS AFTER THE GIGS FINISHED, LIKE WHEN A GOOD FRIEND OR RELATIVE GOES AWAY (SUDDENLY YOU WERE GONE!!)

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO ALL THE GREAT PEOPLE I MET ESPECIALLY TO AARON AND SEAN FOR ORGANISING EVERYTHING,TO STEVE "THE SEEKER" FROM THE USA, WHOM WE SHARED A FEW PINTS, SONGS AND EXPERIENCES WITH.

I THANK GEDDY, ALEX AND NEIL FOR MAKING OUR MUSIC WORLD A BETTER PLACE. LONG MAY IT CONTINUE.

MICK "HEMIS-FEARS" LINDSAY
IRELAND